Eternity Knot

*Chapter 5

By Sakata Ri Houjun

AN: Thanks goes to ShadowPriestess for the extra push to post this chapter, may be a while til the next though...

Warning: Slight lime

~***~

Houjun let out his breath slowly as he broke out of his trance. The sixth attempt of the day and still no success in making contact with Hotohori. To him, it felt as if something was wrong and yet it wasn't something he could pinpoint. It also felt as if he were growing tired, depleted. But how could that be?

It had been only a week since he and his companions emerged from the desert to find this border town of Sailo. Once deciding to wait for Miaka and Tamahome to join them, they easily found a place to stay. He remembered how their hostess seemed very interested in that they were Suzaku Shichiseishi. Now all their needs were met without hesitation.

It didn't seem like anything could go wrong.

And yet, Houjun still got a strange feeling upon entering this town. And his intuition was usually right.

He sighed and closed his eyes, determined to try again, but a crash of pottery caught his attention.

Creasing his brow, Houjun stood up from the bed and opened the door to his room to peek outside. After glancing up and down the hallway and concluding that they weren't under attack by the Seiryu seishi, he started to retreat back to continue with his attempts at contacting Hotohori.

Then another crash sounded, coming from the direction on his right. Curious and bit wary, Houjun decided to investigate this disturbance. As he walked down the hallway, growing closer to the origin of the commotion, he slowly began to discern a voice. A little bit closer and he could recognize whom it was that was speaking. Tasuki. Even closer and he could make out the words.

Baka. Baka. Baka. M sush a fuckin' goddamned baka. If he knew If he only knew he'd hate me. Baka.

The young bandit was obviously drunk as his speech was slurred and his accent thick. But his words were laced with pain and loathing. Houjun thought over his choices. He could leave his friend alone to drink whatever problems were bothering him, or he could help him alleviate his pain a bit.

There really wasn't much of a choice, was there?

Gently, he opened the door. The first thing he found was two broken sake bottles littering the floor at his feet. The second thing he noticed was the large table that they normally ate at laden with even more bottles of the alcohol, some empty and lying on their side. The final thing he saw was Tasuki, shirtless and disheveled with his face in his hands.

Houjun ventured after a moment.

The younger seishi seemed to jerk as though one of Soi's lightening bolts struck him. He straightened in shock before turning around to face Houjun, his beady golden eyes widening.

C'chiri? Wha are ya doin' here?

I should be asking you the same thing, he returned as he walked into the dining room, closing the door behind him. You look terrible.

Tasuki shrugged before reaching over and nabbing another bottle. 'M drunk. S wha happens.

Why are you drunk? Houjun ventured as he took a seat next to the bandit.

Tasuki swallowed a healthy dose before chuckling. Good question. Why are ya here? I mean, wouldn't ya rather be with Mits or Chiriko?

Houjun shook his head. Not when you obviously need me.

The Young man bowed his head forward and began laughing. Tha's funny.

What is? Houjun was perplexed at the sudden changes in behavior.

Here I was, thinkin' I'd be drinkin' by myself, and then ya show up. Ain't that a riot? He began to laugh uncontrollably.

The cerulean-haired seishi raised and eyebrow. It's not that hilarious, Tasuki. And I didn't come here to drink.

Why not? S fun. I hate drinkin' by myself. He held out the bottle he had been drinking from, offering it to the older man.

Houjun drew away as if the container would bite him, not knowing why he was feeling so uneasy about accepting his friend's offer.

Tasuki begged, his hand wobbling a bit. It ain't goin' to kill ya.

It might, Houjun argued feebly.

Tasuki grinned. Ya said that ya came here, wantin' to know what I wanted. Well, I want ya to have a drink with me. Quit actin' like yer a monk or somethin'.

Houjun thought it over. If he had one or two, maybe Tasuki would open up about his problems. It wasn't like he ever drank before, so sake wouldn't be a new thing to him. Sighing resolutely, he accepted the offered bottle and took a long pull from its neck. The bittersweet liquor slid down his throat in a warm trail and he screwed up his face once he had swallowed.

Good shit, ain't it?

Houjun cleared his throat before replying,

*~~~*

An' then when Kouji woke up, she had already taken off with his clothes, an' he had ta walk back from town butt naked!

Houjun laughed harder than he intended to, his face burning and flushed. He lost count as to how many bottles he had consumed, but he felt too good to care. Some rational part of his mind argued that he had had enough and should stop, but instead he reached over and grabbed another bottle.

At one point, Mitsukake had checked in on them and chuckled softly at the pair before retreating to study herbs in the greenhouse. Chiriko, too, eventually visited the bandit and scholar and shook his head in exasperation as they laughed uproariously at his declaration of returning to the library again.

Houjun leaned back in his chair, feeling his head spin and loving it. He had never cut loose like this before in his entire twenty-four years of living. Always serious except with his daughter. But even then, it was never like this. Perhaps he needed more friends like Tasuki. Yeah, a respected scholar, like himself, hanging out with bandits. Now that was funny.

He started to laugh again but then Tasuki interrupted his thoughts.

Oi, check it out! Elephant ears!

Houjun turned to look, half a mouthful of sake spewed across the table as he laughed. Tasuki had taken a pair of the drinking bowls and held them up against his own ears. Then before the older man had time to take in a breath, Tasuki had nabbed two empty bottles and balanced them on his biceps after transferring the bowls from his ears to his eyes.

he happily announced, much to the delight of his audience.

Next, Tasuki threw the bottles down with a slight crash and removed the bowls from his eyes to hold them against his chest. Now, M a woman! Pu-ru-run!*

Demo, I thought you hated women, Tas-kun. Houjun giggled.

Tasuki stopped prancing around the room long enough to glance at the older seishi. I do.

Are you sayin' that you want to be a woman? Houjun leered as he set his bottle down and stood up.

I don' think I'd be a good-lookin' woman. He averted his eyes as his sake-flushed face turned an even deeper shade of red.

I think you'd make a pretty lady.

Oi, I told ya, I ain't like Nuriko! Tasuki frowned then looked confused. Matte. Are ya sayin' that ya'd like me if I was a woman?

I'm married. Houjun protested.

An' yer drunk too. Would ya be hittin' on me if I was a woman?

Houjun wobbled a bit and leaned against the table for support as he thought that over. Since he had never been this drunk before or found himself attracted to other women, he couldn't really come up with an answer. I dunno.

Would ya at least be attracted to me if I was a woman? Tasuki closed the distance between them, his breasts' forgotten.

Houjun didn't like these questions, but his sake-addled brain was seriously baffling his judgment. He chewed on his lip as he tried to focus on the younger man's face, attempting to come to some conclusion. I dunno.

The younger seishi took another step closer and suddenly stumbled. He fell against Houjun, who had little time to react as he too lost his balance and the pair tumbled to the floor.

For a moment, neither made any movement or said anything. Then Tasuki lifted his head to stare at Houjun, his eyes glazed from the alcohol.

Houjun whispered back, his heart pounding as he met those golden orbs.

Houjun chuckled slightly.

The bandit's eyes seemed to grow heavy as the lids lowered to half-mast. Then his head lowered as well. Houjun didn't have anywhere to escape to, as he was flat on the floor. But he couldn't find himself wanting to escape.

Tasuki's face buried itself into the cook between the older man's neck and shoulder. He sighed. I've never been this way before.

Me either. Houjun whispered back.

Tasuki rolled his head around until his forehead was resting against the older man's throat. I just want you to know that.

I understand.

The bandit lifted his head. Do you?

But before Houjun could answer, his lips were captured in a gentle kiss. At first, his eyes widened and he thought about turning his head, pulling away, something to stop this. Then his eyes slid closed once Tasuki began to nuzzle, a slight whimper torn from the younger man's throat.

Houjun tentively began to return the kiss, vaguely aware of much else except the warmth of the younger man pressing from above and his own heart pounding fiercely. Tasuki grew a bit bolder with the kiss and began running his tongue along the cerulean-haired mage's lips. Houjun complied to the request, opening his mouth and welcoming the younger man's intrusion with his own tongue.

As they battled for dominance, the bandit's hands tangled themselves into the fine locks of azure while Houjun found his own arms wrapping around the younger man's waist. That slight pressure brought their groins brushing against each other, and the dizzying sensations caused the pair to break the kiss, moaning.

But then they resumed the battle, neither wanting to give in. The kiss grew more and more vicious with each passing second, their actions bolder and bolder as little else was ignored. Tasuki's trembling fingers soon found their way to Houjun's front, deftly undoing the catches with ease while the older man kept his hold on the bandit's waist, ardently rubbing their groins together.

Then came a loud squeak from behind them, like a loud scream in the thundering silence. The both broke the kiss to glance up at their hostess, whose shocked eyes were locked on the intertwined pair on the floor.

She offered while bowing low. I did not mean to disturb you.

Tasuki glanced over at the suddenly sober Houjun and then quickly pulled away, the older man sitting up and scooting to the far side of the room as he refastened his shirt with trembling fingers.

The hostess bowed low again. I just wanted to check and make certain that you didn't need anything further.

I-I think I fine now, domo. Houjun replied as he struggled to his feet and pushed pat the young woman.

Tasuki still sat on the floor, watching his friend's departure before meeting the inquiring gaze of the hostess. I think I may need more sake.

~***~

*Pu-ru-run is the Japanese sound effect for Wiggle-wiggle, which is what Tasuki says during the breast thing and the peach incident as well in the subbed. But I wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't seen Tenshi ni Narumon (a recomended anime which has Tasuki's seiyuu as a tamato juice drinking vampire) first, where the main character plays with some Jasimine Jelly (jello) and proclaims in a sing-song voice 'pu-ru-run'.